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The Tattoo That Vibrates When You Get a Text

You’ve heard of setting your phone on vibrate, but how about your arm? A new patent filed by Nokia describes a piece of fabric that can be attached to your skin, that will also alert you in you have a call.

Originally uncovered by Unwired View, the patent shows a small, square piece of fabric that could be attached to your fingernail, abdominal area, or forearm. The device would pair with your mobile phone, and when a call comes in would vibrate where it’s attached, much like your phone does now.

Vibrations could be customized depending on the person calling or type of message you’re receiving. So, the vibration for your girlfriend sending you a text message might feel a little different than your Mom calling to check in.

In addition to being attached to your body in fabric form, the patent also suggests producing the same effect with ferromagnetic ink in the form of a tattoo. Ink would be demagnetized before it was placed on your body, and then magnetized again once your tattoo was complete.

Tattoos could be anywhere you might traditionally get inked and could be in any design. For all intents and purposes, you’d be getting a traditional tattoo, just in this case that tattoo would also serve another purpose.

Nokia’s vibrating tattoo patent is still in the patent stage, so it may or may not become a reality.

For deaf people, however, the device raises all kinds of exciting possibilities: Deaf parents could stop having to wear a buzzer to alert them to their baby’s cry, or the doorbell going off, as well as the smoke alarm. Perhaps in public places it could even be adapted so it would alert a deaf person if there was an emergency, such as a fire or a terrorist threat.